Posted by The WORD in other words (2021) by Fr. Karl H. Peschke, SVD (Vienna, Austria)
Thursday 3rd Week in Ordinary Time
The Gospel reports four sayings of Jesus, worth pondering on. Verse 21 talks about a lamp, meant to be seen and to enable people to see. This applies to truth and Christianity. The truth must be held aloft and not concealed for any cowardly reason, and our Christianity should shine like a lamp.
Verse 23 refers to secret things. It applies to the truth, which prevails and cannot be suppressed. It applies to ourselves, to our life and conduct where the truth has a way of emerging.
Verse 24 asserts that we shall receive back in the same measure that which we have given. This is true for worship. The more we bring to the worship of God’s house, the more we will get from it. We also must ask: What can we contribute to it, our personal prayer contribution?
Verse 35 talks about adding more to what one already has. The more knowledge, skill, or craft a person has, the more he can acquire. But if one stops developing any of it, it will soon slip from one’s grasp.
Thomas Aquinas (+1274), the most significant representative of scholastic philosophy and theology and whose feast we celebrate on the 28th of January, indeed let the light of truth shine widely in the world. Investing hard work and effort in his studies and writings, he realized the invitations and promises of the gospel sayings as described earlier. His example invites us to commit our talents to the praise of God and the service of his kingdom.
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